Inside the Investigation: 85 Dogs Rescued from Hoarder

On June 17, the ASPCA's Field Investigations and Response Team was deployed to Waynesboro, TN, to assist the Wayne County Sheriff's Department with a critical hoarding intervention. A total of 85 dogs—including German Shepherds, Labradors and Hound mixes—were discovered in overcrowded and unsanitary conditions on a property owned by an elderly man. The dogs were contained in large pens, chained to posts throughout the yard and found roaming the property. Many suffered from health problems, including mange and heartworm.

"In this hoarding case, a man became overwhelmed by the number of dogs in his care and he needed help," says Kyle Held, the ASPCA's Midwest Regional Director of Field Investigations and Response. "We removed the dogs from his property, are providing them with medical and behavioral evaluations and will ultimately find them loving homes."

Twelve of the rescued dogs have arrived at the ASPCA Bergh Memorial Animal Hospital in New York City, where they are undergoing medical treatment. The remaining dogs were transferred to ASPCA partner agencies, including the Nashville Humane Association and the Atlanta Humane Society.